Global hydrogen investment triples, Europe lags behind: BNEF

Global investment in low-carbon hydrogen more than tripled in 2022 to a record $1.2 billion, according to a report released on Thursday by research firm BNEF.

The investments cover electrolysis and thermochemical production projects, as well as pipelines and underground storage, Kallanish notes. However, 99% of last year’s spending went towards electrolysers, with electrolysis capacity surging to 1.2 gigawatts from less than 0.5GW in 2021.

Although Europe is believed to be at the forefront of hydrogen technology and development, investment in the region was behind the levels registered in the US and China. The former topped electrolyser spending, with the commissioning of 290 megawatts of electrolysis capacity. China commissioned 724MW of additional capacity last year, but investment was lower than in the US because Chinese electrolysers are roughly 70% cheaper than those sold elsewhere.

BNEF researchers suggest Europe’s low investment levels are mostly due to project delays, as investors waited for more clarity over hydrogen standards and subsidies. It is unclear whether the US’s Inflation Reduction Act legislation, which offers up to $3 in tax credits per kg of green hydrogen production in the country, has negatively impacted European investment in 2022.

Hydrogen had the highest growth in investment among energy transition sectors, but only accounted for 0.1% of the $1.1 trillion spent in other areas including renewables and electrified transport.

Gabriela Farhangi UK